OFFICE OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Public Oversight Roundtable on Practices and Procedures of the Protective Services Division of the Office of Property Management
Testimony of Robin-Eve Jasper
Acting Director
Office of Property Management
Adrian M. Fenty
Mayor
COMMITTEE ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Councilmember Carol Schwartz, Chairman
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
10 am
Room 500
Council Chambers
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-3003
Good morning Chairperson Schwartz and members of the Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations. I am Robin-Eve Jasper, Acting Director of the Office of Property Management (OPM).
OPM is responsible for stewardship of the District's real property assets, including in this case the security for District-owned buildings which is the responsibility of the Protective Services Division (PSD) of OPM.
Introduction & Background
Let me briefly review PSD's powers and authority, including its relationship to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). As you will see, PSD has a focused, specific mission -- to protect District resources, facilities, and people in the facilities. Over the past several years, we have made many reforms and improvements, however, there is always room for further progress and we are eager to work with you and your Committee to make PSD and OPM as effective as possible.
As prescribed by DCMR 6A, PSD operates under a Special Police Commission issued by MPD's Security Officer’s Management Branch, the same as granted to private security firms, and the authority is renewed annually.
Under this authority, PSD has police powers only on District properties. PSD has no authority to perform traffic enforcement or community policing. Felony offenses on PSD properties are referred to MPD for investigation. In addition, PSD utilizes MPD’s District Stations to hold suspects, process arrests, and perform criminal record checks.
In citywide emergencies, PSD can be activated to provide assistance. This occurred during the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Isabel and the anthrax emergency. Duties have included intersection control when traffic lights had lost power and security for the mass distribution of medicines.
I will now address some specific questions that have been raised about PSD operations.
Maintenance of X-Ray Machines and Metal Detectors
Concerns have recently been raised regarding the x-ray machines and metal detectors at three District buildings, the Wilson Building, One Judiciary Square, and MPD headquarters. All machines currently in use have been inspected and are working properly.
There are four x-ray machines and four metal detectors at the Wilson Building, located at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. All of these machines have been tested by trained inspectors and are fully operational. Minor maintenance was done such as changing batteries or adjusting sensitivity levels. Regular preventative maintenance is performed by a vendor. We are also in the process of instituting a process for additional scheduled maintenance checks by trained PSD staff.
One Judiciary Square, located at 441 4th St, NW, has two x-ray machines and two metal detectors. They were also tested with minor adjustments made to the sensitivity scales.
MPD headquarters, at 300 Indiana Ave, NW, has three x-ray machines and two metal detectors. One x-ray machine was out of order for about a month and was completely out of use. The machine was previously maintained by MPD. After the machine broke, PSD was contacted to aid in the replacement. Meanwhile, security personnel were using hand wands and performing manual searches. I am pleased to report that the old machine was fixed this week by PSD’s vendor and is again fully operational.
There are an additional nine x-ray machines and six metal detectors at various government facilities throughout the city. All of the machines have been inspected and are operating properly.
The machines at all District buildings are now being inspected on a daily basis by credentialed inspectors. A log will be provided to PSD supervisors and the Office of the Director to ensure accountability and proper upkeep and repair.
An internal investigation was also performed last week after allegations of security personnel not performing their duties properly at some x-ray machines and metal detectors. The investigation revealed enough evidence to terminate the contracts of three security personnel. To prevent similar incidents in the future, all security personnel were provided refresher training and instruction between May 13 and May 16, 2008. PSD officers have also been assigned to conduct weekly evaluations to check the performance of security personnel at our government facilities.
Personnel and Firearms Training
Before a full service PSD officer has been hired, they must have completed a certified military or civilian police academy.
In addition, PSD officers are licensed to carry a firearm and have full arresting powers on government property. To carry a firearm, MPD requires PSD to provide 40 hours of approved firearms training. We give the officers who have never handled a weapon before an additional 40 hours of training (for a total of 80 hours).
MPD also requires 8 hours of annual re-certification training. We double this requirement as well by mandating 16 hours of re-certification training.
PSD officers are certified by MPD to carry their weapons and have internal PSD supervisors who are nationally certified and filed as qualified instructors.
A PSD officer has never accidentally discharged their weapon or had to deploy their weapon to make an arrest. This clearly demonstrates that PSD officers are well trained and know how to use the appropriate amount of force.
Hiring Procedure
PSD officers are not pre-selected. In the past, some background checks were performed before an official job announcement was made due to the length of time it can take to complete a thorough review. However, PSD no longer engages in this practice. On one occasion a PSD supervisor sent an email to potential applicants to congratulate them before the qualification process was complete. PSD was aware of the inappropriate and unprofessional act and immediately reprimanded the individual for breaking PSD, OPM, and DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) policy.
Applicants are evaluated by thorough MPD background checks, ranking factors, and in-person interviews. In fact, PSD officers are now selected by boards and are not selected by individual supervisors. Effective immediately, I have assigned an HR professional from the Office of the Director to become a member of the selection board. Again, since 2006 qualified applicants are required to have passed a certified military or civilian security training academy before being hired by the PSD.
Evidence Collection and Storage
Although PSD officers have arresting powers, they do not perform independent investigations or hold evidence. If evidence is collected from the scene of a crime it is immediately delivered to the MPD – and PSD follows all chain of custody rules and procedures. To maintain proper PSD case files, officers will, however, take pictures of hard evidence or make copies of electronic evidence. Copies of evidence and case files are stored in a locked cabinet in a locked room. Only four officers have access to the material. An electronic filing system has been identified to aid in the documentation of stored copies of evidence and case files. The system is currently under development.
Closing Remarks
The Office of Property Management is committed to providing the residents and employees of the District of Columbia the highest level of security and professionalism. PSD officers have served the city with great distinction for many years. We look forward to working with the Committee to evaluate and improve the safety and security of the District’s resources, facilities, employees, and residents.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify. I welcome any questions you may have at this time.